Today in Soap Opera History (December 13)

Don MacLaughlin & Virgina Dwyer starred in THE ROAD OF LIFE
on both television and radio.

On this date in...

1954: Procter & Gamble's popular radio soap THE ROAD OF LIFE, created by Irna Phillips in 1937, made its television debut on CBS in the 1:15-1:30 p.m. ET time slot.

Because many CBS affiliates chose to run local news and talk shows during this time, the program never achieved the popularity it might have and aired its last TV episode on July 1, 1955. The radio version of the show continued into the 1959 season when the golden age of the radio soap opera began to wind down.

Written by Charles Gussman, who brought wit and cleverness to his soaps, the story centered on handsome doctor Jim Brent and his wife Jocelyn in the small town of Merrimac. The heroine of a medical drama, Jocelyn would suffer from a number of ailments. A large factor in the story was the relationships between three generations of Brent's and Jocelyn's well to do but highly dysfunctional family, the Overtons.

Donald McLaughlin starred as Dr Brent, and Virginia Dwyer as Jocelyn on both radio and TV. Both would move on to other soap roles: McLaughlin as Chris Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS, and Dwyer as matriarch Mary Matthews on ANOTHER WORLD.

1957: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Hester worried that Martin wanted a "stay-at-home wife" and was insanely jealous of her male co-worker Henry Muller.

1976: On ANOTHER WORLD, Michael Randolph and Molly Ordway were married

1983: Actress Leora Dana, who played Sylvie Kosloff on ANOTHER WORLD in the late 1970s, died at age 60

1984: THE EDGE OF NIGHT taped its final episode (which aired on December 28).

1984: On AS THE WORLD TURNS, Maggie worried about baby Jill. Notice the writers listed in the credits including Cynthia Benjamin and Susan Bedsow Horgan (head writers), Jessica Klein, Garin Wolf, Ralph Ellis and Courtney Simon.

1984: On GUIDING LIGHT, Roxie (Kristi Ferrell) had a funny fantasy of herself as a successful business woman.

Ann Williams

1985: Actress Ann Williams died at age 49. Her notable soap roles included stints on THE DOCTORS as the first Dr. Maggie Fielding and on THE EDGE OF NIGHT as television station owner, Margo Huntington Dorn. Her most memorable role was Eunice Gardner Wyatt on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW (1966–1976). Her final soap role was as alcoholic June Slater on LOVING.

1985: On DALLAS, J.R. (Larry Hagman) convinced Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) to move back to Southfork, which meant she gave up her custody of John Ross. (This turned out to be a dream, though, after Bobby turned up alive in Pam's shower at the end of the season).

I read an interview with her recently where she said she was trying to go back. She's just very busy at the moment. You'd think since they're both Ryan Murphy shows it would be easier. I loved her on Glee but don't think she's really needed since Sue is back to being extra mean.

Have you watched The New Normal? The show 'Sing' that is produced by Andrew Rannels character looks just like Glee.